


Sub(Text)

by NonbinaryHylian (chicagoartnerd)



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime
Genre: Epic Poetry, Erotic Poetry, Eventual Happy Ending, First Meetings, Horny Orion Pax, Librarians, Libraries, M/M, Meet-Cute, Mutual Pining, Pining, Praise Kink, Voice Kink, oblivious Megatron
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:41:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22137970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chicagoartnerd/pseuds/NonbinaryHylian
Summary: Megatronus is caught up in legal troubles and decides to break Kaonian curfew to visit the Iacon Hall of Records to try and find a solution. There he meets one Orion Pax, a very flustered and enthusiastic poetry archivist.Megatronus also has a love of literature and poetry, one he hasn't had much ability to nurture, which he is excited to explore with Orion.Only one problem: Megatronus doesn't understand, yet, that the ancient Epic poetry he's reciting has some very naughty subtext...
Relationships: Megatron & Orion Pax, Megatron/Orion Pax, Megatronus/Orion Pax
Comments: 16
Kudos: 113
Collections: MegOP Week 2020





	Sub(Text)

The crystalline arch of the Iacon Hall of Records loomed before him, surprisingly foreboding in the harsh light of the midday sun. Megatronus was not a mech to be made afraid of things. Not anything he could crush under foot, or in his fist, anyway. The disparate gap in his social standing and, yes, knowledge, between even the lowest Iaconian mech and a gladiator from the Pits of Kaon was one such thing. He couldn’t defeat it with only the might of his frame. But perhaps the might of his mind would be up to the task. That was why he was here anyway. Megatronus was breaking several protocols leaving Kaon like this, but if he found what he sought inside it would be worth it. 

A particular record, a treatise on ancient law, that would free him from an ill thought out contract he had made upon first entering the Pits all those years ago. Even when no one believed he was worth anything the Pit sponsors had still decided to cheat him! It boiled the energon in his lines to think of it now. He really he shouldn’t have been thinking about it too hard as he was trying to enter the hall as if he belonged there. Because he did, every single bot should be allowed to come here and find the knowledge that would literally set them free. Wasn’t that the point of a library? Even one so grand as this? 

Megatronus threw his shoulders back and walked inside regally, with purpose. He pretended it was as if he were entering the ring for a title match. If he acted like he had every right to be there, and he did just as much as anyone else, then no one would bother to try and eject him. At least not on sight. He hoped. Slag it, he was nervous but he wasn’t going to hesitate. Not now that he was so close to achieving freedom from the fragging duplicitous Pits’ contract. 

As he entered he scanned the stacks of data pads furtively. They weren’t labeled like how he had imagined they’d be. The Hall of Records was using some sort of alpha-numeric code he wasn’t familiar with to name the sections denoting their content. Megatronus would have to ask someone for assistance. A task that now seemed as daunting as the first massive battle royale matches he’d been forced into as a youngbuild. He cast his gaze around desperately for another bot, anyone who bore the crest of the Archives on their forearms or chest. When he didn’t immediately find someone he thought of leaving. This was almost too much. 

_ No. _

He was more than his massive, hulking, frame! He had to continue on. 

Megatronus started to make his way slowly through the stacks of datapads looking around the corners almost frantically for literally anyone. His optics caught on jewel toned red and blue plating: a large bot was sequestered away in a dark back corner nook, hunched over at one of the small reading desks. It was stacked so high with datapads they were almost spilling off the tabletop. The seated bot had the markings of the archive on their forearms and was chewing on their stylus absently as their small black fingers flipped through the information on the datapad at an alarmingly quick rate. He hesitated for a moment before disturbing them as they seemed entirely engrossed in whatever it was they were reading. 

He winced at the sound of his own loud, rasping voice, as he addressed them. “Excuse me, I don’t mean to interrupt, but would you be able to help me find a directory? I am unfamiliar with the cataloguing system in use here.”

The archive clerk’s head snapped up to look at him, their Matrix blue optics cycled wide open as their stylus fell out their gaping mouth. Megatronus didn’t smirk down at their expression, or at least he was trying to smile politely, he did know he tended to have that effect on people though. 

The clerk audibly reset their vocalizer twice as they scanned the whole expanse of Megatronus’s chest before meeting his optics, and then bit their lip. They both stared at each other for a little bit longer than was polite. He was about to say something when the clerk stood abruptly and extended their forearm enthusiastically in greeting. As they spoke they pinged Megatronus with their designation, pronouns, and public comm line frequency. Which he couldn’t help but raise a brow ridge at as he dubiously shook the mech’s hand. 

“Ah! Sorry about that, it’s just, I’m sure you get this a lot, but you look exactly like how the ancients painted Galateus in  _ The Remaking of Sol.  _ I was kinda caught off guard there for a moment. I’m Orion Pax, Junior Archivist under Alpha Trion, specialization in Epic Poetry. Anyway, I can take you to the directory right now, or if you know the name of the record you need to find I can look it up myself and take you there.”

Megatronus _didn’t_ get that a lot actually. 

He didn’t think anyone had ever compared him to a painting before, unless it was in reference to painting the walls of the Pits blue with his opponents energon. It was perplexing, but the mech himself seemed genuine so he took it as a compliment and let go of his forearm before nodding. 

“I’m Megatronus, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance Orion Pax. I’m looking for  _ The Founding Principals of Contract Negotiation _ by Metalumnus. Also  _ Kaon: A History of Deceit _ by Starchaser. I wouldn’t have bothered you, as you look already engaged, except I couldn’t find anyone else on this floor.”

Orion shook his head so hard it rattled and Megatronus couldn’t help but wonder if he was alright. He almost seemed scatter-brained. He suddenly hoped it wasn’t because Orion was intimidated or afraid of him. For some reason he didn’t think he could stand for that to be the case. 

Orion hastily un-subspaced a thicker-looking white datapad and began typing on it rapidly as he spoke. “Oh, that’s because this is the research level. Most of the public traffic enters on the lower levels where all the directories are. But it’s no bother at all! I’m not incredibly familiar with law documents but I know exactly where to find  _ History of Deceit _ . If you’ll wait just a...moment...ah-here!”

He gestured for Megatronus to follow him as he started to almost bounce down the aisles. “Okay, we’re gonna need to take the lift down to hall FG-7 for the law records. Starchaser’s ethnographies are in the general library collection though, we can swing by there afterwards.”

Megatronus followed Orion Pax curiously. He’d never met anyone quite this...effusive before. It was strange but also refreshing. 

He found himself smiling and relaxing a little for the first time since leaving Kaon several cycles earlier. They entered the lift and Orion flashed his wrist guard to gain access to a keypad before punching in a code. That was his first indication that the files he wanted were restricted somehow. It was fortunate he appeared to have made a friend. The other mech was bouncing on his heels looking up at the lights as they flickered through the walls of the lift between floors. He wasn’t sure if it was polite to make small talk. He wasn’t even sure of what kind of small talk he could make with this mech, they seemed to be from entirely different worlds. 

As soon as the lift stopped and the doors hissed open Orion was moving, motioning him hurriedly to follow. He led them down past several rows of books to a long row of black datapads. His voice was much quieter than it had been upstairs as he murmured, his fingers ghosting over the spines of the datapads as he searched for the one Megatronus needed.

“You can’t check these out, I’m afraid, but any relevant information from them I can transcribe onto an external drive for you. Or if you’d prefer you can take image captures with your HUD. This particular treatise is broken down into 10 volumes. Here’s the first!”

He was being so helpful. Megatronus couldn’t help but wonder why. Why was this mech that didn’t even know him, who could obviously tell he didn’t really belong here, treating Megatronus so well? It didn’t really make any sense, but it seemed like a quandary for later. He needed to see if this datapad had the information he sought. 

Orion handed him a slim black volume and he began scanning the table of contents voraciously. He was halfway through reading a particularly dense paragraph on claimant restitution when Orion cleared his intake lightly and tapped him on the arm once. Megatronus startled abruptly and Orion jerked his hand back, clutching it to his chest as he spoke rapidly. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to overstep, but I was just going to ask specifically what you were looking for. Law is, unfortunately, not my area of expertise. I am a very fast reader though, and you know what they always say; two processors are better than one.” He finished weakly while looking away from him.

Megatronus immediately found his eagerness to help him endearing. Whatever the source of it, he would gladly take him up on his offer. He nodded solemnly as he spoke low into the silent cavernous halls of the law archives. “I am a gladiator from the Pits of Kaon. When they first signed me on as a novice there were certain clauses in the contract about monetary compensation hidden from me. I signed the contract under extreme duress as I had nowhere else to go; I would have offlined from starvation in a fortnight if I didn’t sign their contract and they knew it. Even now that I am the current single combat Champion they still take three fourths of my entire winnings. They claim I still owe the Pits a debt. Every time I ask about this they explain that the interest on my original debt to them as a novice combatant has simply compounded over time."

He paused to try and modulate his tone, he was starting to growl at the end there. "I’m told that it’s stated in my contract that the interest rates may change over time, as we didn’t negotiate fixed rate interest. Everyone I’ve talked to about this condition was employed by the Pits’ owners, an anonymous board of senators and high caste mechs. I doubt they’d ever dare tell me if there was some sort of a loophole or an exit clause for my contract. I am essentially a slave of the Pits until I can find a way out of it.”

Orion’s optics cycled almost as wide as they had been when he first saw him. “Primus, that’s...that’s despicable. It sounds like you desperately need a lawyer. Oh! Not that you could afford one, what with them taking most of your winnings, right? That’s such a load of scrap. I’ll help you look, but Megatronus, if we don’t find anything, what are you going to do!? I might know someone who could help. But uh, I don’t think even I can afford to put him on retainer. Huh. Maybe you could promise him a portion of your future winnings if he helps you break your contract, is that how private lawyers work? Do you know?”

Megatronus raised a brow ridge at that. This mech that he’d literally met less than a cycle ago wanted to call in some favors to help him, some lower caste bot he didn’t know. Who exactly was Orion Pax? Did he actually mean it or was this some kind of trick? He searched Orion’s earnest optics and found them full of nothing but sympathy. It might be his undoing in the future, he thought darkly, but he was going to trust this mech. Just this once. 

He ex-vented raggedly. “I would be willing to negotiate such a thing if you know some bot who’d be willing to work under those conditions. I’d prefer to do it on my own but if it comes to that I would be in your debt for any help you render me, Orion Pax.”

The tips of his blue finials only came up to the bottom of Megatronus’s chin so he saw them twitch once before Orion shook his head slowly.

“No, no, it’s the least I can do as a fellow citizen and public servant. You’ve been taken advantage of by the Pit sponsors, it’s an injustice, a gross abuse of their power over you! It’s just like when Liege enslaved the mechanimals under false pretenses in  _ The Song of Solus _ ! If there’s anything I can do to help, anything at all, do not hesitate to ask.”

Megatronus did recognize that reference. He had actually read  _ The Song of Solus _ : it was one of the few complete epic prose ballads he had been able to find in the junk shops in Lower Kaon. This mech liked to read. He was an archivist it made some sense, he seemed to be more experienced in literature than he was in life. In their conversation Orion continued to use ancient stories to draw conclusions about real life problems faced by actual, living people. Even a disposable caste bot like Megatronus knew that the epic poems of the past were fables, allegories. They could be useful for conceptualizing complex moral ideals but they weren’t a blueprint for living. 

Megatronus suspected Orion Pax needed to get out more. 

It seemed the real reason he was being so helpful was that he was more than a little naive about the cruelties of the world-exactly the kind of privileged mech Megatronus despised. Yet he found he didn’t hate Orion Pax. He at least seemed willing to learn, to grow, to help in any way he could. Truthfully that was the kind of person his fledgling revolution needed. 

He told himself that was why he wrapped his arm around Orion’s shoulders and pulled him against his side in a half hug. Orion squeaked as Megatronus chuckled once and then let him go, smiling with all his teeth as he spoke.

_ Saccharine filings falling  _

_ off  _

_ his tongue do hide  _

_ the ugly varnish of a half-truth  _

_ Omission, not being a lie, _

_ that gleaming golden hands _

_ still remain open, _

_ unsullied _

__

_ All the while, well  _

_ oiled joints _

_ twixt their foots’ plating _

_ shod in priceless blue  _

_ glow with our spilt blood.  _

“I’ll take any help you’re offering me gladly Orion Pax. Thank you.” 

Orion’s hand flew to his mouth to cover the little gasp he made and Megatronus felt something in his spark throb at the sight of him. He was definitely blushing as he nodded while he attempted, and failed, to pull one of the datapads off the shelf without fumbling it. Megatronus watched him for a moment as he began to read the datapads, his delicate hands flickering over the pages swiftly. 

Megatronus couldn’t read nearly as fast but the silence that stretched between them as they read next to each other was companionable. He glanced up from his own datapad once to see Orion reach for another. He shouldn’t have been watching him instead of reading. Megatronus looked down focused as hard as he could on finding the answers he needed. His internal chronometer informed him several cycles had passed. He had only read through two of the treatise when he heard Orion make a frustrated noise beside him. “I can’t find anything that would help. I’m so sorry, Megatronus. When you finish with that datapad we can head up to the general library, I know they have all of Starchaser’s work there. You can check out any of her works and take them with you, no need to stand here in the stacks reading them.”

Ah. Megatronus scowled at him and he couldn’t keep the sour note from his voice. “No I can’t Orion Pax. I don’t have the proper authorization for an archives pass. I’m an indentured Pit fighter, remember?”

Orion visibly flinched and immediately began to apologize. “That’s wrong, they’re wrong to restrict access like that. I’ve always hated how the archives aren’t truly free and open to all. Every mech with an identification code should be able to check out whatever material they want from the general collection.”

Megatronus couldn’t help it, he sneered at him. “And what about the mechs without serial numbers, hm? The disposables shouldn’t be allowed to read then? And what of the collections that might actually help a mech, like this restricted law section you’ve whisked me away to, should the public not be allowed to read these as well?”

Orion’s face fell and Megatronus instantly regretted what he had said. It was the truth, but he had worded it to wound, not to educate. Once again though, Orion surprised him. Instead of shying away, he rose to his full height and addressed him solemnly, staring at him full in the face with determination. “You’re right. Everyone, regardless of caste or identification status, should be allowed here. The archives should always be a hall of learning, of growth, for all members of our society. We should be stewarding the whole of Cybertron towards a more equitable and learned future, not throwing up barriers and and telling people what they can and can’t know. One day I’ll be a master archivist and when that day comes, I’ll do everything in my power to open the halls to everyone. I give you my word as a mech and a scholar.” 

Megatronus was very rarely impressed by upper caste bots but this one was different. This one felt honest and sincere. A quality he rarely found in anyone. Hm. He felt like he could take him at his word then. It seemed he had found something useful in the archives after all. 

Megatronus nodded his head magnanimously. “Again, you do yourself great credit by rising to my challenges. I do intend to hold you to that promise though. Know that when the time comes I will lead the masses here to your archives doors Orion Pax, whether they are open to us or not.”

He watched with fascination as the smaller blue and red bot swallowed hard but nodded back at him firmly before gesturing for him to put the datapad he had been reading back on the shelf. Megatronus huffed and returned the pad to its proper place. 

As soon as it was back on the shelf Orion was moving past him, almost touching his chest as he led him back out of the law treatise stacks towards the lift. After Orion punched in the code to the lift he turned to Megatronus with a half smile. “What else have you read by the way? You can quote  _ The Song of Solus _ at me, but what about  _ The Wild Hunt of the Turbofoxes _ or  _ Obscura Vitae Data _ ? Oooohhh. Perhaps  _ In The Bower of The Unmaker _ ?”

Megatronus laughed. He couldn’t help it. This strange archivist was adorably earnest, especially about Epic Poetry which apparently was his area of expertise. He had read some of  _ The Wild Hunt, _ just fragments gleaned from cracked datapads and busted glyphs etched on old metal tablets thrown amongst the scrap piles deep beneath the layered planetary crust of Kaon. When he had been a miner he had read anything he could find, no matter what it was. He was eventually discarded like the rest of the refuse, then he learned what their names were: the writers of the works he had cherished more than his own fuel rations. 

He could explain all of that to Orion later. For now he simply smirked and recited what he could remember.

_ They alight like moonrise over the Manganese Mountains _

_ swift, sleak, streams of light,  _

_ caressing the ground with the beat of their sparks.  _

_ And low I give chase,  _

_ spread my wings and transform, _

_ becoming naught but a scream of victory _

_ dancing red  _

_ and hot, _

_ trailing after their silken tails. _

Orion’s vocalizer made a few odd clicks before he nodded again and Megatronus noticed he was blushing a little once more, his faceplate light blue with energon. It was a lovely image to behold and his HUD made an image capture of it without his conscious command to do so, which was odd. 

As the door opened on the main level of the archives, Orion seemed to hesitate for a moment before leaving the lift. As he did, he turned around quickly, almost running into Megatronus’s chest as he exited. He sputtered for a moment before taking a step back and then shyly offering him his hand. 

Megatronus stared at it dubiously for a moment, unsure of whether or not to take it. He didn’t sense any ill intent in it though, so he carefully folded his much larger clawed fingers around Orion’s slim blacks ones. Orion smiled at him brightly before tugging on his hand to lead him through the stacks. There were other bots, all of them brightly colored Iaconians, here. Some of them openly stared at him until they noticed Orion tugging him along behind him, then went back to their own datapads or searches. They both stopped in front of a long row of low shelves, the tallest only coming up to his waist as Orion bent down to grab two datapads off of it. He still had ahold of his hand but Megatronus couldn’t find it in his spark to let go...it was eerily comforting. He hadn’t felt out of place here in this grand hall since he’d met Orion Pax. 

That was definitely something worth making note of for if he ever returned. This would probably be the last time they ever met in person however, as he would have to return and stay in Kaon indefinitely. He doubted the-admittedly sweet-upper class mech would deign to come visit him in the slums. So, Megatronus relished the feeling of acceptance and peace holding onto that soft black hand was giving him a little longer as Orion leaned in towards him, holding one of the datapads in front of his face conspiratorially.“I’ll check these out for you and you can return them to me the next time you’re in town. I can tell you’ll take good care of them so there’s really no harm in bending the rules a bit, especially when the rules are unfair to begin with.”

Megatronus felt something inside him soften. He’d accidentally stumbled upon an honest to Primus good bot in the upper castes. He would have laughed if someone in one of the oilhouses from his victory lap last night had told him that was what he would find in Iacon today. Yet here Orion was, holding Megatronus’s hand and promising to break the law so he could read something for pleasure. 

It was one of the nicest things anyone had ever done for him. 

Probably _ the _ nicest thing if he didn’t count Ravage almost killing him to get him out of the mines in one, unsmelted, piece. That had been a cruel sort of kindness. He would have to return the datapads then. Somehow he would get these two datapads back to Orion, even if he could never leave Kaon again. He reached up and stroked the screen on the top pad. It lit up with the title: it was exactly what he had asked for,  _ Kaon: A History of Deceit _ . 

He tapped the spine of the second pad as he spoke softly. “Thank you. Even if I am not permitted to return here after today, I promise to get these back to you safely. I will never forget your kindness Orion. Out of curiosity, what is the second title you’re giving me?”

Orion bit his lip and looked away. To Megatronus’s dismay Orion quickly removed his hand from his so he could show him the title on the second pad.  _ In the Bower of The Unmaker _ . Ah. More Epic Poetry. Megatron smiled at him and Orion’s silver face went that lovely shade of pearlescent blue again. He was so visibly expressive, not at all like any of the other Pit fighters or even most of his sullen neighbors in the slums. 

Orion waved the datapads at him and then led him to the checkout stations by the doors, where he quickly scanned his wrist and then the datapads. Megatronus followed him out into the late day sunlight as he realized that yes, he had indeed gone in the wrong door the first time in his panic. Ugh. Orion stopped at the bottom of the wide white metal staircase and looked up at him expectantly. When he was within arms reach Orion thrust the datapads towards his chest while speaking.

“If you can’t bring these back for whatever reason, I’ll come and get them, don’t worry about it! You also have my comm frequency so feel free to message me about them any time! You should also definitely comm me if you think I can help with your legal situation.”

Megatronus took the books and subspaced them easily before smiling at Orion genuinely. Then he did something slightly impulsive and pinged Orion his private comm frequency before he waved goodbye to him.

“Thank you again for all your help, Orion Pax. I will. We’ll have to chat and quote  _ In The Bower of The Unmaker _ at each other soon.”

Orion gaped at him, blushing once more before Megatronus laughed at his shocked expression as he turned to go. He hadn’t had such a nice afternoon in decades. He was going to have to break curfew and protocol more often if it meant feeling as light and free as he did now. And if it meant seeing Orion Pax make all those delightfully open faces again. 

**Author's Note:**

> I love this fic's premise and have been saving it specifically for MegOP week! Mwwwwhahahahaha So happy day 1! Pre-War/Post-War! This is definitely pre-war ehehehe. I have a couple more things I'd like to post this week as well, so I'll be working on those too!
> 
> I hope y'all enjoy the first chapter. I intend to post the other chapters every other week. Chapter two is halfway done right now. I also wanna thank RH for beta-ing this!!! She's awesome and fun to talk to and very good at helping me tighten it up structure/punctuation wise. ❤️
> 
> So yes, I will be updating all my WIPs this year I promise! I haven't posted fic much the last couple months because I've been dealing with life shit, I got top surgery woo!!! But New Year, New Fic! And yes finishing old fic. I should also mention the smut doesn't happen in his fic till chapter three so if you don't want to read that you can enjoy this fic...for all the subtext until then. ;)
> 
> If you want real time updates for things go follow me on Twitter @Basilbing, I post Transformers art/news and writing tidbits and WIPs etc.


End file.
